Adjustable switch actuating arrangement



Dec. 9, 1969 E. HERMLE 3,483,344

ADJUSTABLE SWITCH ACTUATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. '7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 9, 1969 HERMLE 3,483,344

ADJUSTABLE SWITCH ACTUATING ARRANGEMENT Filed Sept. 7, 196'? 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 van [or flun,

United States Patent O Int. Cl. H01h 3/50, 9/00, 43/10 US. Cl. 200-453 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A rotary switch actuator has a plurality of angularly adjustable pairs of cam disks for actuating switches whlch are mounted outward of a support wall for independent angular adjustment about the axis of the shaft so that it is not necessary to angularly adjust the cam disks if a very fine adjustment is desired.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Switch actuating arrangements are known in which a plurality of switches is mounted on a support, and are actuated at predetermined moments for predetermined time periods by cams secured to a rotary shaft. My copending application Ser. No. 506,685, now US. Patent No. 3,364,317, discloses a switch actuator arrangement in which each cam means comprises two cam disks which are adjustable relative to each other and also together so that the length of the composite cam track, and also its angular position, can be adjusted, whereupon the cam disks are fixed by suitable clamping and holding means.

The different time moments at which different switches are to be actuated by the several cam means, are determined by angularly positioning pairs of cam disks Which have already been angularly adjusted to form a composite cam track of a desired length. It is desired that the several switches are placed in an operative position by the several cam means in a continuous succession so that no time is lost. In order to obtain such a precise adjustment, it is often necessary in the constructions of the prior art, to carry out minute adjustments of the pairs of cam disks, requiring release of the clamping means by which the pairs of cam disks are held, turning of the cam disks through a small angle, and then clamping the same again. Aside from the fact that such adjustment is timeconsuming, it must be carried out with the greatest care, so that the relative position between the two cam disks of each pair, which is already exactly determined, is not varied when both cam disks of the pair are simultaneously angularly adjusted to determine the exact moment at which the beginning of the composite cam track of the two cam disks actuates the respective switch.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is one object of the invention to overcome the disadvantages of switch actuator arrangements according to the prior art, and to provide 'a switch actuating arrangement in which fine adjustments can be carried out without loosening the holding means of already adjusted actuator cams.

Another object of the invention is to provide means for angularly adjusting each switch independently of the other switches about the axis of the axis of rotation of the actuating cams whose position is already adjusted.

With these objects in view, the present invention provides a plurality of switches which are adjustable along a circular path having a center coinciding with the axis of rotation of the actuator shaft and actuator cams. The ar- 3,483,344 Patented Dec. 9, 1969 rangement of the invention makes it possible to adjust the moments at which the switches are actuated by the cams, without disturbing the already adjusted position of the actuating cams.

The construction of the invention has the advantage that the switches can be adjusted for the above-explained purpose during rotation of the actuating Shaft with the actuating cams, so that it is not necessary to stop the apparatus which permits an observation of the result of each angular adjustment of a switch.

One embodiment of the invention comprises an actuator shaft, a plurality of cam means mounted on the shaft for angular adjustment, each cam means preferably including a pair of angularly adjustable cam disks, a plurality of holding means for respectively securing the cam means in selected angularly adjusted positions, supporting means, a plurality of carriers mounted on the supporting means on the side remote from said cam means for angular movement along arcs having centers located in the axis of the shaft, a plurality of switches respectively secured to the carriers, and having switch actuators cooperating with the cam means, and a plurality of attaching means for attaching the carriers to the supporting means after independent angular adjustment of the carriers with the switch means relative to the supporting means.

Since the relative angular position of the switches and cam means can be adjusted by adjusting the carriers on the supporting means, it is not necessary to angularly adjust the cam means of the shaft, and loosening of the holding means and cam means is not required for fine adjustments.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the supporting means includes an arcuate wall extending along the shaft and having an outer convex circular guide face in sliding engagement with inner concave circular guide faces of the switch carriers. A threaded clamping means is provided for attaching each switch carrier to the arcuate wall of the supporting means after the desired angular adjustment of the switch carriers with the switches has been effected by sliding the carrier or carriers in circumferential direction on the circular guide surface of the arcuate wall of the supporting means. The provision of the carriers eliminates the necessity of providing special housings for the switches, so that standard switches can be used. Each switch has an actuator pin cooperating with an actuator member guided in a passage of the respective carrier and passing through a cut-out in the arcuate supporting Wall into the region of the cam means.

Each switch carrier has a guide portion guided in a guide means secured to the arcuate wall, so that displacement of the carriers in axial direction is not possible. The other end of the carrier has a slot through which a clamping screw passes into a threaded bore of the arcuate supporting wall so that each carrier can be clamped to the supporting wall after angular adjustment.

The clamping screw serves as an indicator of the angular position of the switch carrier by pointing to a scale extending along the slot through which the clamping screw passes.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a plan view of a switch actuating arrangement according to the invention, with a housing cover partly broken off;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on line II--II in FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line IIIIII in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The switch actuating apparatus has a housing composed of a lower housing portion 12 which can be closed by a cover lid 14 which is turnable about a hinge 13. The base plate 16 projects laterally beyond the side walls 18 and 20 of housing 10, and is used for attaching the apparatus to a machine housing or frame.

Ball bearings 24 and 26 are mounted in the lateral walls 18 and 20 and rotatably support an actuator shaft 22 whose end portions 28 and 30 project out of bearings 24, 26. Drive means, not shown, operated from the control shaft of the machine controlled by the switch arrangement, are secured to one of the shaft end portions.

The shaft portion located within housing 10 carries a plurality of cam means, three cam means 32, 34, 36 being shown by way of example. As shown in FIG. 3 for cam means 36, each cam means includes a pair of cam disks 38 and 40, each of which has a dwell extending over an angle of 180 and defines two switching moments. The cam disks 40 and 48 have central bore and are mounted on the hub portion 42 of an abutment member which has a flange 46. A nut 50 is screwed onto an outer thread of hub portion 42 and presses a ring 52 toward cam disk 38 when nut 50 is tightened. A pin 44 passing through hub portion 42 connects abutment means 42, 46 to shaft 22 for rotation, and when cam disks 38, 40 are clamped against abutment flange 46, they rotate with shaft 22 and abutment means 42, 46. Each cam disk 48 has an outer axially projecting rim 48 so that the inner portions of cam disks 38 and 40 are separated from each other and from abutment flange 46 so that the cam disks are resiliently deformed by the pressure of nut 50 which assures a tight abutment of the peripheral portions of cam disks 48, 40, and also locks nut 50 without requiring additional spring washers, or clamping bolts passing through the cam disks and abutment flange.

When nut 50 is loosened by inserting a tool into radial recesses in the peripheral surface of nut 50, cam disks 38 and 40 can be angularly adjusted relative to each other to form a composite cam track of a desired length, and

also turned together about hub portion 42 to determine the angular position of the beginning and end of the composite dwell of the composite cam track, whereupon the nut is tightened.

A stationary supporting means 54 includes an arcuate supporting wall 56 whose ends are secured to the side walls 18 and 20 of the housing. Three switch carriers 58, 62, 64 are mounted on the arcuate supporting wall 56, and a switch 74 is secured to each carrier 58, 62, 64 by screws. Each carrier has an inner cylindrical guide face 60 sliding on an outer cylindrical guide face of arcuate wall 56, the two guide faces forming part of a circle whose center is located in the axis of rotation of shaft 22. Each carrier has in circumferential direction an end portion 66 formed with a slot 70, and an end portion 68. A member 84 is secured to supporting wall 56 by axially spaced screws 86 which project into threaded bores of wall 56. Member 84 has a plurality of grooves in which end portions 68 of the three carriers are respectively slidingly received. A slide member 88 is located at the bottom of each groove, and can be urged by screw 90 toward the outside of the respective portion 68 so that the carriers are reliably guided in circumferential direction, and cannot move laterally in axial direction. By adjustment of screws 90 and slide members 88, the guide ways formed by the grooves and the outer cylindrical surface of supporting wall 56 can be accurately adapted to the end portion 68 so that the same are slidably guided.

The other end portions 66 of carriers 58, 62, 64 have 4 circumferentially extending slots 70 through which screws 72 pass into threaded-bores of supporting wall 56 so that each carrier can be clamped to supporting wall 56 by the head of the respective screws 72. Screw 72 may be re-. placed by a bolt and nut.

End portions 68 and the circular guide face 60 of each carrier permit angular adjustment of the carriers, and in an adjusted position, screw 72 is tightened to determine the final position of the carrier with the switch.

Each carrier 58, 62, 64 has a supporting portion 73 to which the respective switch 74 is secured by screws. Each switch has an actuator pin abutting an actuator member 78 which is guided in a passage of the respective switch carrier for movement toward and away from the respective pair of cam disks 38, 40. A cam follower roller 82 is turnably mounted on the free end of actuating member 78 which is urged by a spring 78a into engagement with the composite cam track of cam disks 38 and 40. A circumferentially elongated cut-out 76 in the arcuate supporting wall 56 permits angular displacement of switch actuating member 78 with the respective carrier during angular adjustment of the same.

As best seen in FIG. 1, a graduated scale is provided on the outer periphery of each abutment flange 46, and cam disks 38 and 40 have indicating marks on the peripheries thereof, on which the angle of each cam disk 38, 40 in relation to each other and to shaft 22 with abutment flange 46 can be determined.

In order to determine the angular positions of the switching devices including the switch carriers and switches, each switch carrier 58, 62, 64 has a scale along the edge of the respective slot 70, and the head of the clamping screw 72 serves as an indicator mark cooperating with the respective scale.

When nut 50 is loosened, cam disks 38 and 40 can be angularly adjusted relative to each other, and relative to shaft 22, whereupon nut 50 is tightened. Consequently, each switch actuator 78, 80, 82 will be engaged by the beginning of the composite cam track at the certain moment, so that the switch is operated, and then released after a predetermined time determined :by the length of the composite cam track dwell. If the operation of switches 74 does not take place in the precise desired succession, screws 72 are loosened, and the respective carrier with the switch angularly adjusted so that the angular position of the switch actuator 78, 82 in relation to shaft 22 and cam means 38, 40 is varied, permitting a very fine adjustment within a few degrees, indicated by scale 92, as shown in FIG. 1 for carrier 58. It is not necessary to open screw 50, and to disturb the vrelative angular position of cam disks 38, 40 which is difficult to avoid when nut 50 is loosened.

If instead of a screw with a head 72, a threaded bolt with a nut is used for attaching the switch carriers to the supporting wall 56, it is advantageous to place a cap on the bolt which rests on the outer convex surface of the end portion 66 of the respective carrier, and indicates the position of the carrier on the scale 92.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together, may also find a useful application in other types of adjustable switch actuating arrangements differing from the types described above.

While the invention has been illustrated and described as embodied in a switch actuating apparatus permitting independent angular adjustment of cams, and of the switching devices operated by the cams so that the beginning and end of switch actuation can be precisely adjusted without stopping the cam shaft, it is not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully releal the gist of the present invention that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Adjustable switch actuating arrangement comprising, in combination, an actuator shaft means having an axis of rotation; a plurality of cam means mounted on said shaft means for rotation therewith; supporting means including a wall extending in axial direction adjacent the outer peripheries of said cam means, and having an outer cylindrical guide surface concentric with said axis, said wall having a plurality of cutouts opposite said cam means, respectively; a plurality of switching devices axially spaced along said wall and supported by the same, each switching device including a switch means, a carrier for said switch means disposed inward of the same in radial direction, and having an inner cylindrical guide face concentric with said axis slidingly engaging said outer cylindrical guide face of said wall, and an opening between said inner guide face and said switch means, and switch actuator means for each switch means located in said openings, respectively, and passing through one of said cutouts, said switch actuator means having inner ends cooperating with said cam means, respectively, for actuating said switch means at moments depending on the angular positions of said cam means relative to said switch actuator means; and a plurality of attaching means for attaching each carrier to said wall in circumferentially adjusted positions of the respective switching device whereby the moment of actuation of each switch means by the respective cam means can be independently set without access to said cam means.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said cam means includes two cam disks mounted on said shaft for independent angular movement and having cam tracks forming a composite cam track; and holding means securing both cam disks of the respective cam means to said shaft means in angularly adjusted positions.

3. Switch actuating arrangement as claimed in claim 1 wherein each carrier has guide portions having parts of said inner guide face; wherein said supporting means include guide means secured to said wall for guiding said guide portions of each carrier in circumferential direction along said outer guide face; and wherein each attaching means has means for clamping one of said guide portions to said outer guide surface of said wall.

4. Switch actuating arrangement as claimed in claim 3 wherein said one guide portion of each switching device has a circumferential slot; and wherein said attaching means passes through said slot and has a clamping means abutting said one guide portion.

5. An arrangement as claimed inclaim 4, wherein said wall is arcuate and has a plurality of threaded bores coinciding with said slots, respectively, and wherein said clamping means is a screw passing through said slot into said threaded bore and having a head abutting the respective carrier adjacent said slot.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 4, wherein each carrier includes a scale along said slot; and wherein said clamping means has a portion for indicating the graduations of said scale and thereby angularly adjusted positions of the carrier.

7. Adjustable switch actuating arrangement comprising, in combination, an actuator shaft means having an axis of rotation; a plurality of axially spaced cam means mounted on said shaft means for angular movement about said axis; a plurality of holding means for respectively securing said cam means to said shaft means in selected angularly adjusted positions; supporting means disposed along the shaft means and including a wall having a first cylindrical guide face, and a guide means secured to said wall and having a plurality of grooves forming with said first cylindrical guide face a plurality of guide ways; a plurality of switch devices mounted on said supporting means for angular movement along arcs having centers located in said axis, and including switch actuator means respectively cooperating with said cam means for actuating said switch devices at moments depending on the angular position of said cam means relative to said switch actuator means, each switching device including a guide portion located in one of said guide ways and having on one side a second cylindrical guide face in sliding contact with said first guide face, and on the other side a guide face engaged by said guide means; and a plurality of attaching means for attaching said switch devices to said wall ,after independent angular adjustment of said switch devices so that loosening of said holding means and of said cam means is not required for fine adjustments.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 7, wherein each guide means includes a slide member located at the bottom of said groove, and an adjusting means for moving said slide member toward said first cylindrical guide face; and wherein said guide face on the other side of said guide portion is engaged by said slide member at the pressure exerted by said adjusting means on said slide member.

9. Adjustable switch actuating arrangement comprising, in combination, an actuator shaft means having an axis of rotation; a plurality of cam means mounted on said shaft means for rotation therewith; a support wall extending along said cam means and having a first cylindrical guide face concentric with said axis; a plurality of switching devices spaced along said support wall and supported by the same, each switching device having a second inner guide surface concentric with said axis and slidingly engaging said first cylindrical guide face; guide means on said support wall for guiding each of said switching devices for circumferential movement on said support wall but non-movable in axial direction, each switching device including a switch means and a switch actuator means cooperating with said cam means for actuating the respective switch means at moments depending on the angular position of said cam means relative to said switch actuator means; and attaching means for clamping each switching device to said support wall in circumferentially adjusted positions whereby actuation of each switch means by the respective cam means can be independently set by adjusting the position of said switching devices on said support wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,945,096 7/1960 South. 3,364,317 1/1968 Hermle 200-38 2,978,553 4/1961 Bundy et al. 200153.13 XR 3,104,298 9/1963 Aldous 200153.l3

ROBERT K. SCHAEFER, Primary Examiner ROBERT A. VANDERHYE, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 20038, 166 

